Customer Reviews

Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate (The Wild Food Adventure Series, Book 1)

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1. This beautiful, glossy book has the sharpest edible wild plant photos available. If you didn't recognize these plants before, you will now.
2. The detailed plant guides describing "common weeds" are, without being a bit boring, fun to read and thorough.
3. The wild plant recipes have been tested and refined. Speaking from experience, the recipe results yield some very yummy surprises for kids and adults. Who knew purslane, mallow, and wood sorrel could taste so good?
4. Whether you're a wild food gourmand or just an occasional weed-nibbler like me, Kallas' writing style is both entertaining and enlightening.
5. This book could change the way the world eats (at least the way we eat in the USA) and that's why I bought multiple copies for our public library, school teachers, and fellow nature-lovers.

My Dad recently gifted me this great book and it is one of the best that I have ever received! You can help the author even more by going to his site directly to see and purchase this book there: [...]. It is the first book in a series that this foraging expert plans to write. This first book focuses on the most readily available greens. I think it is perfect for both the city and country dweller as you will quickly learn to see the wild foods readily available all around you.

The author focuses on the best parts of the plants to use, and even recipes. I think he took the time to do so as most people are put off on harvesting "weeds," let alone when they actually try one (think dandelion leaves), they think, "Yuck, this stuff tastes awful." This is not a pocket field guide for the quick identification of a plant, but rather more of an in-depth look at the plant, look alikes, and the best ways to utilize said plant. That being said, it is not tedious to find the plant or information you are looking for and I have already been able to quickly flip back and forth through it and find exactly what I am after in an instant.

The chapter on the Mallow plant alone should be enough to get most people out in their yards hunting and pecking for a wonderful Nature provided treat. Recipes for this plant include: various "mumbo" gumbo recipes, Mallow confections using Mallow whites for items like whipped cream, meringues, and "Mallowmallows." Yes, the Mallow plant is a cousin to the Marsh Mallow plant!

The cover and paper used in the book are high gloss and will hold up to years of thumbing through, even from going in and out of a backpack on a "less than ideal weather condition" trip. The photography is excellent and I believe was shot by the author as well. It has the DK/Eyewitness books feel to it which I just love! I think his goal is for people to really "learn the plant" so you will recognize it anywhere.

I live in a more rural locale now, but I remember seeing several of the plants in this book in my yard from when I lived in the city. Where I live now, I was able to walk out my back door and find 3 of the edibles from the book within 10 minutes! I discovered that the weed taking up 80% of my garden is in fact actually lambsquarters, the very first plant in this book and one that the author would like to be renamed Wild Spinach. I have since found ample Common Mallow, Purslane, and Chickweed plants as well growing right in my garden and all are edible which I now know thanks to this wonderful guide.

NewlyAwakened
Rural Homestead Group Owner [...]

At our monster-big local bookstore, I looked through all the books on edible wild plants, and this one was by FAR the best! Rather than line drawings of hundreds of plants from all over, this book covers a more limited number of *readily available* wild edibles.

As a result, the info and photos of each plant is MUCH more detailed, including various ways it can be cooked (also with photos), the plant's life cycle and various edible/non-edible parts, photos of any similar NON-edible plants, etc.

I was interested in wild greens, and this book had a great discussion of not only how to decrease bitterness in the cooking process, but also which greens are less bitter, and what times of year are best for trying the more bitter ones. As a total novice, I'd been thinking of trying some dandelion greens, and was saved from getting overwhelmed and discouraged in that first experiment, and steered to some *much* better options. Since then I timed a dandelion-picking better according to the book's suggestions, and they were wonderful! (also, the author had some great thoughts about 'bitterness' in wild greens that have stayed with me since)

Since then, it seems like everywhere I look there are great edible greens growing in yards and wild spaces. This has been a wonderful addition to eating veggies from my garden. There's something so full of life about wild foods, grown right where *you* live and grow -- it's local, organic food taken to a whole new level.

Finally a book for beginning wild food foragers, John Kallas has nailed it! His new, very attractive book is user friendly both at home and in the field.
What I find very helpful is that Kallas took the time to explain the nature of the plant, what to beware of, and its rudimentary uses in logical and pragmatic terms. In contrast to my other books on wild plants, the photography is very detailed which is really helpful as a field resource. Another factor that makes this book attractive is that the Northwest, my home, is included in such a way that is more than an afterthought. One other important part of this book is the discussion John Kallas has with the reader regarding poisonous plants.
I would highly recommend this book to any wild food forager, especially those just starting out because of its "how to" nature. My only criticism of Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate would be a wish that John Kallas would have included a few more plants, ex., nettle and wild cow parsnip. Perhaps another volume?

There is so much in this beautiful book; I am impressed. Excellent, clear photos, even showing the various forms that one plant species can take under different conditions, and well-vetted recipes combine to take the guesswork out of wild edible adventures for the average person. And if you want more info, it's here. Extensive literature review summarizes in one place an enormous amount of info - nutrition, lore, botany - about . . . well, weeds. Who knew?! I will never look at an abandoned lot (or my backyard) the same way.

If you are genuinely serious about learning AND eating edible wild plants on a regular basis, get this book. I have been gathering wild mushrooms for over 40 years, and foraging for wild foods for over 30 years. I am also a collector of wild mushrooms books, wild food books, wild edible flower books, and sea vegetable (seaweed) books, and have hundreds in my collection, all read cover to cover by the way. In short, if a book is about wild and edible, I probably have it, read it, or reviewed it. I'm hooked, and proudly so.

Dr. Kallas' book is comprehensive, while at the same time being user friendly, practical, and fun: It has better descriptions, deeper explanations, incredible photographs, current nutritional information, and a depth and breadth of facts and knowledge that is incomparable. He explains each plants life cycle in detail, discusses each stage of growth with appropriate photographs, and explains how to identify each of them. He shows and describes the one or more parts of each plant that are edible, where and how to gather them, when and how to prepare them, and includes tantalizing recipes that are accompanied with stunning photographs.

In addition, he discusses at length, the history and future of wild foods and how to grow a wild garden. He explains why eating wild food is not weird, but absolutely normal. And, he emphasizes why learning about, finding, gathering, and eating wild woods is an adventure that is rewarding and fun!

This book is not just a book on wild edible plant identification; it is an all-inclusive user manual, all presented with Dr. Kallas' subtle sense of humor. This book covers more useful information than any of the other books in my collection. If I could have only one book on edible wild plants, it would be Dr. Kallas', period!

As a passionate wild foods hobbyist, it is my good fortune to know Dr. John Kallas. I have been to his programs, joined him on walks, viewed and listened to his presentations, heard his keynotes, emailed him and talked to him on the phone, subscribed to his newsletter, and visited his website: w[...], scores of times. Few people have the depth of understanding or the daily experience with wild foods that he possesses. I have eagerly awaited the publication of this book because I knew it would be done well. And I am not disappointed. It is everything a wild food book should be: clear, thorough, based on first hand knowledge, accurate, engaging for the reader, with many photos of each plant. John provides an in-depth chapter on every plant. His knowledge is deep and sheds new light on commonly found plants. Take Common Mallow, for instance. His chapter is 28 pages long. He has developed and tested a way to make a marshmallow-like confection from this widely found plant. The photos are absolutely clear, the recipes and food photography enticing. One might be disappointed that this book only treats 15 edible wild plants when other authors treat fifty or more. But that's by conscious design. Whether you are just beginning to be interested in wild foods or a serious forager or a chef who wishes to incorporate healthy new tastes into your menu, you will love John's detailed chapters. I know this for a fact: having John's "Edible WildPlants: Wild Foods from Dirt to Plate" in my hand, I will want to purchase every one of his books to follow in this series.

Finally there is a practical and easy to read book on wild plants that is useful for the beginner, the seasoned expert, and everyone in between. Dr. Kallas' extensive education and years of experience really show through in this book. The pictures cover every stage of growth and every edible part of the plant in vivid detail. You will not find a book with better pictures. He explains what stage of growth, what part of the plant, and in what environment it is best to harvest the plants. He goes on furthur to describe how to harvest and then prepare them for optimal taste, nutrition, and even aesthetic value. This book will be a classic that all other wild food books will be judged by. Bravo Dr. Kallas ... I look forward to the next books in your series!

I have been awaiting the release of this book for a few years now. John is one of the most knowledgeable foragers in North America, and he has always covered the topic with great thoroughness and strict attention to detail. This book is no different. One thing that totally blew me away about this book is the "Disclaimer-yeah right!" in the very beginning. Shockingly similar to my "Claimer" in Nature's Garden. John and I did not plan this, which is quite amazing considering that, to my knowledge, these are the only two books of any kind in existence that disclaim the disclaimer. It reveals that, in teaching about wild foods, we both encounter the same ridiculous attitudes again and again, and it gives us the same frustration. Bravo John!

The book begins with an introduction to foraging, basic concepts, safety, etc, and these are covered here very well. The bulk of the book consists of the discussion of 15 common weedy greens, each one covered in great detail with multiple color photos showing several stages of growth and examples of the plant's variation, as well as photos demonstrating harvest and preparation techniques. John shares all this information based on his own experiences as well as extensive literary research. The book contains many sidebars and notes of interest, and clears up much confusion on various topics.

In every way, John's book is REALLY well done. The quality of the physical book is exceptional, and the photos are very clear--they are the best photos in any wild food book, period. The writing is concise, clear, and organized, as is the format of the entire book. The chapter on the nutrition in wild foods is especially useful, and provides more information on this topic than any other foraging book that I have seen.

The one complaint that I have heard about this book is that it covers so few plants, and that these plants are all of one food type (weedy greens), and there is nothing in the title or subtitle to reveal that the book only covers greens. I partially concur with this criticism in that I feel the narrow focus could have been easily conveyed to potential readers. Also, in some instances it feels like the book is somewhat redundant and over-explains the obvious. I think if some of this were cut out, a few more plants could have been covered (which would help assuage the surprising ommission of a few plants that seem to fit the theme, such as stinging nettle and amaranth). But there is always a trade-off between detail of information and how many plants can be included. John chose to stay on the side of detail, which I highly appreciate. I learned a lot from this book and keep it on the "most common reference" shelf in my library.

Highly recommended.

I ran across this book at a full price bookstore while I was browsing titles on my wish list that I wasn't sure if I wanted. I immediately recognized this as a book worth its weight in gold and proceeded directly to the checkout counter. True, it only covers a few plants, but most of the plants in the book can be found in the 48 states and Southern Canada so the audience for this book should be wide. I have formed the impression that if economic times ever got so bad that food disappeared from the store shelves, I would just work up a patch of ground, and let it go to "weeds." There would only be a few winter months of the year where finding enough to eat might be difficult. If you are a vegetable gardener, this book will definitely change your ideas of what a garden should be. I for one will not be worrying about keeping my garden weed free any more. A "Weedy" garden will allow you to save on garden seed; it will save a LOT of hard labor, and camouflage it from the marauding bands. You will eat better too. If you are heavy into the preparedness and survivalist mentality, this is a must have book! I will be watching for the rest of Mr. Kallas' books that he says are forthcoming.

Comparing this book with Samuel Thayer's first book, "The Forager's Harvest", I would favor this book if I could only pick one of the two books. Mr. Thayer covers more plants, but Mr. Kallas covers a few plants really, Really Well. Mr. Kallas' book would be more of a beginner's book as well. I would highly recommend both.